Israel’s Finance Minister, Yair Lapid returned last week, Oct. 12, from an intensive working visit to Washington, during which he met with Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke and a host of other senior administration officials. In private talks, Lapid later related proudly that the Americans see him as the “next thing” in Israeli politics. Other than posting a banner outside the White House that reads: “Well, replace him already,” they have said that much, Lapid told close associates.

Truth be told, we can understand the Americans. They’ve been stuck with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for five years already. "Nothing Happens, Nobody Comes, Nobody Goes.” And then all of a sudden, Bibi's (Netanyahu’s) perfect flip side shows up. Here is a young, optimistic man who is receptive to suggestions. Speaking excellent English, he has broad knowledge of Americana and is endowed with unabashed personal charm. Lapid speaks a language Americans can understand, using their vernacular while whispering mellifluous words into their attentive ears. The Americans know that when it comes to Lapid, real negotiations with the Palestinians can take place and the Iranians can be given a real chance to roll back. Life will look completely different. It won’t be as gloomy and ominous; it’ll be more credible.

It’s true that when Netanyahu visits the United States, he tells the Americans what they want to hear. The difference between him and Lapid is that the Americans believe the latter, not him.

Knesset member Shelly Yachimovich, chairwoman of the Israeli opposition and also chairwoman of the Labor party, has fostered close working ties with US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro. The two have met quite a few times and have been talking a great deal. Yachimovich, too, tells her interlocutors about the deep bond between her and Shapiro and the American administration in general. When talking about the broad understanding she shares with senior American officials, she also mentions her latest visit to the United States during which she addressed the J Street conference [Sept. 29] and the tailwind she gets from Washington. The Americans know, Yachimovich says in closed meetings, that only I can be the next thing. They see Lapid crashing and they know that Justice Minister Tzipi Livni represents only a small constituency. They know that the only alternative to what’s happening now is the Labor Party under my leadership.